Effects of Putrescine Application Against Drought Stress on the Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Grapevines

Abstract

The damage caused by climate change and global warming can lead to significant economic losses in economically valuable plant species. Recent studies have shown that exogenous putrescine application is an effective strategy for enhancing plant tolerance to various environmental stress factors; however, no previous research has examined the effects of putrescine application on the drought tolerance of grapevines. In this study, the effects of putrescine applied at concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mM on 1103 Paulsen American grape rootstocks under drought stress (at 30–40% field capacity) and on normally irrigated plants (at 70–80% field capacity) were investigated. These findings indicated that putrescine improved the growth characteristics and physiological parameters of grapevine saplings under drought stress. Under these conditions, 0.1 mM putrescine increased shoot length 2.24-fold, shoot fresh weight 16.60-fold, root fresh weight 2.35-fold and root dry weight 2.22-fold while decreasing the drought index 2.38-fold. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential of putrescine application to enhance drought tolerance in grapevines, emphasizing the need for further research in this area. In future research, the potential of putrescine application in enhancing drought tolerance in grapevines should be further investigated, considering the wider range of putrescine concentrations and the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms in different plant species.